MBB: Colonial States Athletic Conference

[chizwiz]

Jon,

I appreciate the work you put forth in doing the matrix.  Thanks.

Good point with the Scarlet Knights and my picks.

Can you do me a favor?  Please don't let your guys lose to PAC teams anymore.  It's hurting EU's seeding.  Not that this last loss hurt, but it could potentially hurt us.

[chizwiz]

I don't know if there was a suspension - I doubt that was case.

I think I know the reason why he was there - his team was playing a winless team and is facing a tough opponent in the near future.

Regardless, I'd never seen it before.

Lefty, who is the coach you are talking about?

[Jon]

Can you do me a favor?  Please don't let your guys lose to PAC teams anymore.  It's hurting EU's seeding.  Not that this last loss hurt, but it could potentially hurt us.

chizzle, sorry I can't be of any help there...players play, coaches coach, then I write about it when it's all over.  Looking at tomorrow's schedule, I would pay to watch games at Arcadia, Misericordia, and Neumann.

Anybody bold enough to throw out an All-Conference Team or two now that we're turning into the home stretch?

[Coach K]

Tough one for the Crusaders on Monday night. Seems like GMC controlled the pace, defended very well, guys that normally hit shots for AC were off. Well played game against two top teams in the conference.

I won't give an all conference team yet, still too much basketball to play. Let's see who leads their team to tough wins in this last 7-8 game stretch. Nice try though Jon!

Is it going to be another ugly one in Radnor tomorrow night?

[chizwiz]

Picks for tomorrow night:

Wesley @ Marywood - Marywood by 2
Alvernia @ Cabrini - Vern by 18
EU @ Neumann - EU by 8 (DiMaria is top scorer)
Gwynedd @ Miseri - Gwynedd by 6
Macs @ Arcadia - Arcadia by 5

[Coach C]

Wesley@theWood - Wesley by 2
Alvernia @ Dzik Dome - Alvernia by 23
Eastern @ the MAB Center - Eastern by 1 (OT)
GMC@ LesMis - GMC by 5
IMMAC @ the Castle - Arcadia by 3

[am1554]

I'd say its definitley going to be an ugly one in Radnor tonight, if "coach" Maccioca sits in a 2-3 zone again watching his team get lit up from outside, maybe he'll have a game plan this time....

[chizwiz]

Coach C,

Good pick on your part with the Wesley win.  Although we both scored it close, you had the team.  I guess that's why it's called "Scarywood".  I wonder if Wesley had any gripes about their less-than-dreamy timer.

Much closer game for Alvernia.  What happened, Jon?  I guess a win is a win, be it by 1, 7, 18, or 23.

EU wins by 14, effectively by 30.  It was close up until the first half when the ref threw the ball toward the lights.  EU was up 40-7, if memory serves me right, during the first half.  Nadelhoffer put in some lineups that were fun to watch, but had some difficulty keeping the score differential at even.  Although, it's always expected that a team will come back.  Great job EU boys!  Bring that intensity to the next dozen or so games.

Gwynedd loses by 8?  Not surprising, but in this conference . . .

Immaculata loses by, well, more than a little.  I wonder if they had to play the free throw game at the end and didn't hit shots with a couple minutes left.  I wasn't there, obviously, but it looks like they might not have come out for the game.  Again, the Knights are a good team, but the Macs might still be experiencing some youth-like inconsistency.  I'm sure Chadwin will be riding them tomorrow in practice.

[chizwiz]

I'm sitting here looking at the PAC standings after tonight's results, and I'm thinking that Neumann might be in a lot of trouble.  They've got 3 consecutive away games, at places that aren't easy to win:  Alvernia, GMC, and Misericordia (is that 6 players on the court or is one of those guys just a ref?).  I think they might find themselves at 8-8 with a home game against Cabrini, and you know Macciocca is going to have fun being a giant killer in his last few hurrahs as a PAC coach.  Then, they play Immaculata, who is going to need every win they can get (like a few others including EU), to get in the tourney.

I could be wrong, but I think Neumann is on a downward slope.

Marywood and Cabrini - their only fun now is in giving losses to unsuspecting teams or those on the bubble.  And I don't blame them.

Arcadia looks to slip into 5th or 6th seed, with a relatively (and I stress RELATIVELY) less difficult conference schedule left.

I think Wesley will be out, but just barely.

The bubble is probably Neumann, Misericordia, and Immaculata.  They are all playing each other, so it will be some fun ball the next two weeks in conference.

And now I submit this to the critics.

[East Coast Eagle]

Great game played by the Eagles tonight. All five starters scored in double figures. A very balanced attack.

Anyone at Cabrini tonight? Rumor has it the SID at Cabrini was shown the door, Jon do you have any inside SID info?

Could the mens basketball coach be next?

[chairman]

C wizzle... Never got to 40-7. The Eagles did jump to a 32-4 lead, and the game was effecitvely over very early. Fritz scored 20 in the second half to repair things a little bit cosmetically, but the Eagles were dominating from the beginning.

They looked very relaxed and confident shooting the ball (It might be the church league sized gym), and they moved the ball really well. We have to check up on Malloy's career versus Neumann. I think he might want to play them every night.

Back to the playoff picture. The only thing anyone knows now is that if you win out you will get in. The Eagles now look to be in pretty good shape as they hold the tie breaker over Neumann and Miseri, but I am strarting to think that there is not going to be a nine win team in. I think it takes ten to feel confident. Have to be a little bit annoyed that Marywood couldn't pull off either overtime game agaisnt Wesley. (How on earth?) It seems like Marywood (with all their ballhandling problems) would be a terrible match up for the super-aggressive pressure defenses of Wesley, but the Pacers came close twice.

Misericordia by eight? What's amazingis that no one is thinking about seeding at this point everyone's trying to figure out who is going to get in. Chiz, I think Neumann will make it, but you could be right about how tough it is going to be with their coming schedule.

[chairman]

Jon-
Your call for All-PAC selections is heeded.

Here is the first list:

A pair of first team locks:
Shawell-Alvernia He's just good, and he plays on the top team.
R. Johnson-Wesley: Might be the most dynamic offensive player since Willie Chandler, but I put him behind Shawell in POTY voting because Wesley is underachieving overall.

Two who I think are close to locks:
Boettcher- Arcadia  Double double machine. Arcadia would have to fall off the map for him not to make second team, but I think he will make the first team.
Smith- GMC he has to finish strong, because he was invisible to start, but he is a game changer.

Those four I feel are pretty well cemented in the first team-- One of the following will make the 1st team based on his team's finish. I am putting them in order now, but that could all change  tomorrow.

Etzel- Alvernia. If the Vern doesn't lose the rest of the way, I think they get two first teamers. Etzel is a great competitor and a super shooter.

Johnson-Eastern. It would be a huge upset to see a guy with single figure scoring on the first team, but he leads the league in blocks, is second in assists, first in defensive rebounds, top five in steals, and top ten in field goal percentage. The blocks and assists thing is interesting enough, but the rebounding  and steals make it even more so.

Finger- Alvernia. He is a shoe in for second team and can only make the first team if Etzel struggles down the stretch and Alvernia doesn't. He doesn't turn the ball over and he doesn't miss any shots.

Finklea- Immaculata. The Macs have to finish in the top four, for him to get first team honors, but if they do, I think he will.

Patrick- Neumann. Before tonight I would have thought he was a lock to make the first team, but he did not produce like an all-league performer in a game of pretty significant consequence this evening. Nonetheless, he is a great offensive talent.

DiMaria- Eastern's leading scorer and only senior could sneak into the top five if the Eagles finish top three and the voters refuse to put Johnson on the first team.

Standing at the door looking in: These guys all have a shot at second team.

Baumunk- College Misericordia- He will make it if the Cougars can sneak into the playoffs. Otherwise it will probably be honorable mention.

Jones - Immaculata -- He's put together some great games. Will probably need to have at least two more really big nights to make it.

Volpe- Eastern-- The junior point guard has taken over a greater responsibility for scoring the ball, but it's not likely that the Eagles will get three.

DJ Fritz-- Neumann. Great scorer, but he's in his first year and is the second name on the Knights.

Two on the outside-

Randy Reid and Adam Wildasin will in all likelihood get shut out. They both put up very good numbers, but when the numbers don't lead to wins, they are unlikely to get awards.

POTY Shawell-- He does so many things well, and his competitve fire is obvious. He is probably not the best offensive player in the league (Johnson from Wesley), but he is very complete and he can drop 34 on you if the need arises.
ROY- King from Alvernia-- I'm not sure there is another freshman who starts and makes a measurable contribution.

COY- Still too soon to tell. There are a couple names eliminated, but there are a lot of names still in the running as well. I'd like to see lists from all the usual suspects here pretty soon.

[Pat Coleman]

Anyone at Cabrini tonight? Rumor has it the SID at Cabrini was shown the door, Jon do you have any inside SID info?

I can't remember the last time we got word one from Elliot Tannebaum.

He's "worked" at three Division III schools in the D3hoops.com era. I have a name for him that is less than complimentary and rhymes a little.

I do know there was a sudden change at Cabrini. I don't know what prompted it.

[Jon]

chair,

Nice list of analysis.  I'll be interested to see if the voters toss a little more love to Randy Reid.  I'm quite certain that most coaches would take that level of talent on their team.  I think more than any other sport in the conference, coaches vote for basketball based on more than just the numbers.

Last night at Cabrini Reid and MacLelland both had big nights.  MacLelland had eight of his 12 rebounds on the offensive glass.  The Crusaders put together a couple streaks when they needed them and hit nine free throws in the final minute of the game.  A big 17-3 run early gave Alvernia the led for good.  Etzel and Shawell both shot well and the team got productive minutes from Marcel Roane with Bradley in foul trouble.

http://athletics.alvernia.edu/Pdfs/mbball/2007/1/29/0607%20PAC%20MB%20Matrix.pdf

[chizwiz]

Chairman, I also liked your list.  Sounds pretty realistic to what the coaches might be voting.

Here's a thought:  if Cabrini's coach gets the boot, do any underclassmen get picked up by other schools?